


The Millionaire Matchmaker

by orphan_account



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, M/M, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 09:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1505582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This week famous matchmaker Nyota Uhura may face one of her hardest challenges yet: skeptical divorcee Leonard McCoy. The wealthy doctor has an idea of what he wants, but it may just be one of the more unlikely candidates - Jim Kirk - that really rekindle his passion for dating, and who knows? Maybe even love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Millionaire Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> An AU based on the TV show Millionaire Matchmaker, because that show is bloody brilliant.

"Okay so today we’ve got Leonard McCoy," Nyota announces, "he’s newly thirty, he’s been divorced for about eighteen months, just moved to San Francisco and he’s looking to get back on the dating scene. But he wants something long term," she continues to read off of her iPad, where her personal assistant Janice Rand has complied a profile of the potential new Millionaire for her Millionaire’s club. "We’re looking for someone he can settle down with."

"What’s he like?" Gaila, her number two in matchmaking, asks. "What are we looking for?" 

"He’s a neurosurgeon, one of America’s best; he’s old money too… his net worth is somewhere between seven or ten million. We’re looking for someone smart, someone educated. He needs someone who can keep up with him. He’s stubborn; I’ve met him once or twice now and I know that what he’s looking for is a challenge." 

"In an attempt to remain distant from his companion?" Spock, the companies Vice President.

"No," Nyota shakes her head, "he just needs someone who will push him. Out of his shell, out of his comfort zone…"

"Type?" Gaila wonders.

"Blonde, blue-eyes. He’s bisexual so this could be our first co-ed mixer," she says, grinning. 

"Oooh, exciting," Gaila agrees. 

"Religion?" Spock asks, studious making notes on his own iPad. 

"Non-practicing, his family are Baptists; it’s not a big deal to him though. If he can see it, it’s real; if he can’t, it’s not," Nyota replies. 

"Where does that leave love?" Gaila wonders.

"He’s a sceptic," Nyota agrees, "burned by the divorce." 

#

Leonard is charming and polite when he comes into the office to meet Nyota and her team for the first time, professionally at least. It’s not immediately clear why he can’t find his own match, he’s a very good looking, successful man, and he’s not half as obnoxious as most of Nyota’s clients. 

"So why?" Nyota asks, because she has a job to do and no time to pussy foot around McCoy’s delicacies. "Why now? Why do you need my help?"

Leonard looks affronted by the questions; he frowns, drawing his lips together in a thin line. “Because I’m ready now.” 

"Are you?" Nyota questions. 

"Yes," he insists. 

"Are you looking for a copy of your ex-wife?" 

"No," Leonard says, shaking his head, "definitely not." 

"But you do like blondes?" Nyota teases, and Leonard looks like he’s relaxing slightly. 

"Gentlemen prefer blondes?" he offers, smile crooked and endearing. Nyota can help this guy; he’s a good guy - it’ll be easy to find him a match. 

#

"No," Nyota says, shaking her head, "I don’t want Jim at one of my mixers. He doesn’t respect the clients, he doesn’t respect my ‘no sex before monogamy’ rule and frankly he irritates me." 

"You love Jim," Gaila counters with a smirk. "You just don’t like how much he flirts."

"He’s not right for Leonard," Nyota says. "Leonard needs someone refined, classy; not a ruffian pseudo-hipster who spent one too many nights on a bar floor." 

"Why don’t we do a two-way mirror session, instead of a mixer?" Spock suggests. "We can invite a variety of men and women to interview and let Leonard see what he likes."

Nyota thinks it’s doubtful Leonard would ever choose Jim Kirk. 

So she agrees. 

#

Leonard agrees to the two-way mirror scenario; while he’s been doing social events since he was a teenager and knows exactly how to work a room, they both decide a healthy dose of change is what’s in order for the success of this match. 

"Just take notes, Gaila’ll pop in sporadically and you can tell us how you’re feeling," Nyota smiles, handing him a pen and a pad of paper. 

"Yes, ma’am," Leonard smiles, exhaling nervously. 

"I’ll find you someone, I will," she assures him, heading back into the other room, smiling at him through the glass, wondering what his reaction would be. 

#

Every head that walks into the room is blonde. That much goes without saying but most of them are new potentials that Nyota hasn’t met before; and so, the twenty questions begin. 

"Carol…"

"Marcus," the woman nods; her smile is confident and assured, she’s a woman who knows what she wants, Nyota knows that much. If Carol doesn’t mind working together in a partnership maybe she’ll work for Leonard. 

"You’re an MIT graduate," Nyota reads from her notes, "so she’s smart," she turns to Spock, "Leonard likes smart… what are you currently working as?" 

"A weapons designer for NASA, my doctorate was in applied physics," Carol says. 

"You work out?" Gaila asks, because Gaila’s questions always come from the far left field but usually there’s a method in her madness. 

"Yeah," Carol nods, "I swim a few times a week, I play tennis…" 

"Leo’s a runner," Gaila says to Nyota, as if Nyota would have forgotten. 

"Are you ready to settle down?" 

"I’m quite focused on my career at the moment but one day, sure?"

"You don’t sound convinced," Nyota prompts. 

"I just think settling down has a set of connotations… I’m never going to give up my career," she says firmly. 

"Good," Nyota nods, enthused, "she’s established, she’s not a walk-over, great." 

#

The day draws on and Nyota’s sort of hoping Jim’s decided not to turn up. But there he is, standing proud in front of her, cocky smirk fixed in place. 

"Nyota," he grins. 

"What could you offer an intelligent gentleman?" she asks with a slight sneer.

"What could he offer me?" Jim smirks. Nyota loves Jim, she does, but he’s a bane to her professional life and right now she wants to strangle him. 

“ _You’re_  being interviewed, Jim,” Nyota reminds, “ _he’s_  the client.”

"I’m smart," Jim says, "headstrong, determined, absolutely hilarious," he grins, "I want something real," he says then, more serious, "I’m ready for something real." 

"You’re twenty-four, that’s a bit younger than he’d like…"

"But you know I’m not just some airhead twink that wants to latch my claws into some rich sugar daddy," Jim reasons, "I want an equal." 

Jim could be in the millionaire’s club too, his own net worth matching Leonard’s much for much. They make sense on paper. But Nyota doesn’t want to watch the train wreck that their relationship could turn into. 

"Let’s have a chat with Leo," Gaila says, smile light - she can see Nyota being slowly won over by Jim’s earnestness. 

"Okay," she nods, "Janice, you can send everyone home now." 

#

"So," Gaila starts excitedly, "who’re your three names?" 

"Ah," Leonard exhales, "I liked Carol."

"She’s my choice," Nyota agrees. 

"And Christine."

"Why Christine?" Nyota wonders, if this is a purely aesthetic choice she really won’t be happy with Leonard. 

"She’s in the medical field so we have that in common, but she seemed stern too so I don’t have to worry about her, you know, she can handle herself," Leonard explains. 

"And call you out on your shit," Gaila adds, grinning. "Who else?"

"I uh," Leonard looks down, like he knows Nyota isn’t going to want to hear whatever name he’s planning to say. "I like Jim." 

"And why Jim?" Nyota asks, trying not to be disappointed. This could work. It could. Maybe. God, she hopes he chooses Carol. 

"He’s ah, he’s different," Leonard starts, chuckling slightly which seems to startle and confuse Spock enough to receive an eyebrow raise. "He’s punchy, you know? An’ funny. I ah, I don’t know…" 

"Instant attraction," Gaila says with an imploring look in Nyota’s direction, "that’s a good sign," she continues, smiling pointedly between her boss and their client. 

She looks like she wants to start applauding herself. 

Nyota needs to find a new number two. One that’s obedient. She huffs. 

"Well, you’ve got three names but who do you want for your master date?" Nyota asks.  _Please say Carol, please say Carol._

"I know you don’t wanna hear this," Leonard says, looking hesitant. Nyota already knows the name he’s circled on his notepad.  _Jim_. She sighs. This is going to ruin her career, she can feel it. 

#

Jim’s smugness on the other end of the phone doesn’t settle Nyota any, either and she has to make him promise her, and swear on his friendship with Spock, that he’ll leave his asshole Jim at home and just bring brilliant, dedicated Jim to the master date. 

"I’m  _not_  an asshole,” Jim assures her. Promises her, even. 

She might not always like Jim Kirk, but Nyota  _always_  trusts him. 

#

**_The Master Date_ **

Leonard is  _freaking out_. He hasn’t been on the dating scene in ten years. He hasn’t even been on a date in, like,  _three_. And that was with his wife - he had nothing to prove; it was safe, it was comfortable, it was easy. But now he’s getting ready to meet up with this hot astrophysicist from Iowa who looks like a Hollywood actor.

And  _damn_  does the guy have biceps.  

He’s like a blonde God. 

Christ. 

"Keep it easy, don’t interrogate him, don’t depress him and don’t scold him," Nyota warns. But it’s the only advice he gets. 

And it doesn’t give him a damn clue as to what he  _should_ do.

The master dates are always in two parts: the first part is meant to be something fun, something a bit different; and the second part is the more traditional dinner date. Leonard’s asked Nyota if he can do it the other way around, Nyota was skeptical but eventually he relented.

So they meet for dinner; it’s at a small Italian restaurant Leonard likes - because everyone likes Italian, right?

He decides on a [black shirt, pale grey suit, no tie](http://24.media.tumblr.com/8a07df583937a095ba8577ccae44609f/tumblr_n0k47ubGwb1stcm2qo1_500.jpg).  He feels like this might work. He hopes it does. 

Jim’s even more stunning without a glass partition standing between them.

"Hi," Jim’s smile is bright and it makes his eyes crease. He’s wearing a white short sleeved shirt tucked into a navy blue pair of trousers that huge his ass wonderfully. Not that Leonard’s looking. He’s not. He’s a gentleman.

  “Hey there,” Leonard thinks he smiles. He  _hopes_ he smiles. They shake hands, Leonard places a hand on the small of Jim’s back, just a light press of fingers to guide him to themaitre d’. 

"D’you like Italian?" Leonard wonders, as they’re seated and handed their menus. 

"It’s one of the safest places to eat out," Jim nods, chuckling when he sees Leonard’s confused frown. "I’m allergic to a lot; no nuts, no shellfish; no pineapple, you know," he shrugs, "but everyone can eat pizza."

That tugs a smile from Leonard, who nods. 

"You’re an astrophysicist," Leonard starts, "how did that-"

"Happen?" Jim grins, "I like a challenge, and I’d like to try and understand the world I live in…" 

"I get that," Leonard nods. 

"You’re a doctor," Jim recalls.

"Neurosurgery," Leonard nods, "it’s kinda like you and your physics, I mean, the brain is infinitely interestin’, you know? Just to try an’ figure it all out."

"You like a challenge too then," Jim smiles, eyes twinkling. 

"Yeah," Leonard breathes, "I guess so." 

"What do you do for fun?" 

"Honestly? I’m kind of a workaholic," and Jim laughs, as if he couldn’t already guess that, "I like to relax when I’m not at work, I read a lot, I run…"

"A bit of an escapist?" Jim wonders, "you ever tried extreme sport? That’s an awesome way to get out of your head." 

"I’m not throwing myself out of a plane," Leonard states, trying not to smile at Jim who’s grin refuses to falter. 

"You ever boarded?" 

"Like snowboarding or surfing?"

"Either, both?" 

"I’ve been on a few skiing holidays," Bones nods, "I’m from Georgia, though, so I’m real adverse to snow." 

They spend the evening talking easily, swapping stories in a very give-and-take manner; but it’s not forced - it’s not standing on ceremony - it’s just the rhythm they fall into. Like the to and fro of the Atlantic tide. 

"Why blondes?" Jim wonders, the dinner portion of they’re date is coming to a close. They’re slowly meandering through their desserts; Leonard with a peach filled Crostata and Jim with a Panna Cotta. 

"Why not?" Leonard grins, and then considers, "s’just pretty, I guess," he shrugs. 

"You think I’m pretty?" Jim smirks. 

"You  _are_  pretty,” Leonard says; like it’s a simple fact of the universe. Jim seems encouraged by this, though, and his smirk grows more pronounced. 

"Where are you taking me for the next portion of the date?" Jim asks, setting his spoon down. 

"You’ll have to wait an’ see," Leonard says, voice soft and playful. He feels better than he has in a while: more comfortable in his own skin. 

#

"I grew up in a little town outside Savannah, spent a lot ‘a time at the beach; used to ride horses along the shore, you know?" Leonard explains, leading Jim into the dimly lit, empty aquarium. 

"You can ride?" Jim questions, "I always wanted to learn."

"Maybe we can organise something for date four or five," Leonard says gently, testing the waters. 

"Four or five?" Jim smirks. 

"Well I don’t wanna see you makin’ a fool of yourself too soon," Leonard counters and Jim gives him a look, feigning incredulity. "Anywho, you’re mean to plan the next date anyway."

"I guess I am," Jim agrees, "I’m not sure I have enough power to get a public venue kept open for a private tour," he adds, turning slowly around the foyer of the aquarium.

"I figured you could have space an’ I’ll have the sea," Leonard puffs out a little laugh and Jim smiles.

"Why don’t we meet somewhere in the middle?" Jim asks, taking a step closer to Leonard, who purses his lips to hide the spike of nervousness that runs down his spine. 

"Why don’t we," he agrees, tipping his head to capture Jim’s lips. Just a chaste press of lips, warm, slightly rough from where Jim chews at his bottom lip; but Jim’s lips are plush and red from it too, like they’re constantly swollen and tender. Leonard’s heart flutters a little faster and doesn’t slow even once he’s pulled away, eyes meeting Jim’s. 

They’re shining bright, blue like the water in the tanks that surround them; like the Pacific Ocean Leonard has missed so much since leaving Georgia. Jim bats his eyelashes playfully, reveling in Leonard’s attention. 

"Am I gonna regret this?" Leonard asks. 

"Probably," Jim grins, slipping his arm into the crook of Leonard’s "I wanna see the sharks." 

"Unbelievable." 

 


End file.
